Chafee wins in pivotal R.I. race

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Sen. Lincoln Chafee, with the backing of the national Republican Party, last night secured a solid victory over conservative Republican challenger Stephen Laffey in the most closely watched race on a night when nine states and the District held primaries.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the liberal Mr. Chafee had 34,042 votes, or 54 percent, to 29,431 votes (46 percent) for Mr. Laffey, the Cranston mayor who was backed by the free-market advocacy group Club for Growth.

"To the voters of Rhode Island, thank you," Mr. Chafee told a screaming crowd of supporters at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence. He said the victory was a validation of independent-minded Rhode Island and an endorsement of leaders who have the "guts" to take difficult votes and work across the aisle.

Mr. Chafee's Democratic challenger, Sheldon Whitehouse, got 82 percent of the vote against two other candidates in the Democratic primary.

Elsewhere, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton easily beat anti-war challenger Jonathan Tasini in that state's Democratic primary, clearing the way for a November matchup against Republican underdog John Spencer, the former mayor of Yonkers.

In Vermont, independent Rep. Bernard Sanders won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. James M. Jeffords, while businessman Richard Tarrant took an early lead in the Republican Senate primary.

In Arizona, four Republicans, including Don Goldwater, nephew of the late Barry Goldwater, competed for the nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano. In Minnesota, Democratic state Rep. Keith Ellison was leading in his race for an open House seat that would make him the first Muslim in Congress.

The battle between Mr. Chafee and Mr. Laffey was in the spotlight yesterday because national Republicans said it was key to their party's hope of maintaining its Senate majority. They insisted that Mr. Chafee, who has bucked his party on issues such as tax cuts and abortion, has the only shot in this left-leaning state to beat a Democratic challenge and win the general election in November.

National Republicans ran ads, sent volunteers and gave resources to help Mr. Chafee win.

But Republicans in Rhode Island were split. Mr. Chafee faced a notable challenge from Mr. Laffey, who is pro-life, pledged to cut taxes and won the support of the Club For Growth. The national group spent $500,000 in Rhode Island and ran ads bashing Mr. Chafee as a tax-and-spend liberal.